For this project you will be indexing multiple different types of forms that are commonly found in a soldier's WWI service record packet. These forms include: attestation, casualty, certificate of Identity, death, disability, discharge, enlistment, medical, record of service, and transfer. Only images of these forms should appear when you download a batch.

Many of the forms that you will be indexing will not contain all the fields. Some fields are unique to certain forms.

How to Index Given Names and Surnames

Do not include titles or terms, such as Widow, Baron, Reverend, Lord, Esq, Jr, or Mr, in the Given Names or Surname fields.

Do not include ranks, such as Private, Captain, or Corporal, in the Given Names or Surname fields.

Do not expand abbreviated names. For example, do not change "Thos" to Thomas or "Wm" to William. Type the name or the abbreviation as it was written on the record.

In the Given Names and Surname fields, index only the name of the soldier who was the principal or primary person. Do not index any other names that may appear on the document.

If alias names were included on a document, or if an individual’s name was listed with various spellings on the card, include all variants, separating each with the word Or. For example, if a name was written as "Georgios (George), George Broski, George Browzowski, or George Brzozowski," you would index the name fields as follows:

Given Names: Georgios Or George

Surname: Broski Or Browzowski Or Brzozowski

How to Index Places

If a place-name was misspelled, spell it correctly.

If a place-name was abbreviated; and you can determine what the abbreviation stands for, type the complete name instead of the abbreviation.

Use the lookup lists for assistance. If you are not sure what the locality should be, type the name of the place as it was written on the census.

How to Index Ages

Index only full years. If fractions of years were recorded, round down to the nearest full year. If less than one year was recorded, index the age as 0 (zero).

Corrected or Crossed-Out Information

When information was crossed out and then replaced, type the new data in the appropriate fields.

When information was crossed out, was not replaced, and can be read, type the crossed-out information.

If information was not crossed out; but was replaced or was added to, type the most complete version of the record.

When the information was crossed out, was not replaced, and cannot be read, mark the field as unreadable by pressing Ctrl+U.

When every entry on a record cannot be read, mark the entire record as unreadable by pressing Ctrl+Shift+U.

Highlights and the Ruler

Highlights are not available for this project. You may use the ruler, instead, to follow a record across an image.

If you choose to use the ruler, please be aware that it is not anchored to the indexing screen and does not automatically move as you move to a new entry. To use the ruler: